Closure for containers of liquid or semiliquid substances



J. M. CROOK Feb. 1, 1938.

CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS OF LIQUID OR SEMILIQUID SUBSTANCES Filed April 30, 1937 Jzmasfl Crook Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS F LIQUID 0B SEMILIQUID SUBSTANCES James m. Crook, Huntington, w. Va.

Application April 80, 1937, Serial No. 140,035

6Claims.

This invention relates to improvements .in closures for the containers of liquid or semiliquid substances,- more especially containers of the collapsible tube type. and its objects are as follows:

First, to provide a closure for collapsible tubes such as are used for tooth paste and a wide variety of similar semi-liquids, or liquids, which closure is made so as to seal automatically upon the cessation of the extruding pressure.

Second, to provide a closure of the foregoing character, in which the stiif, perforated cap has flexible sides so as to allow expansion and contraction in respect to a rigid stopper on which the aperture is adapted to seat.

Third, to provide a closure as stated, in which the cap is part of an axially expansible and contractible bellows.

Fourth, to provide a collapsible tube which has a stopper fixed in position in the vicinity of its outlet opening, and a stretchable and retractible encasing neck in continuation of said opening, terminating in a cap end that has a perforation, the rim of which is seatable upon the stopper.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a collapsible tube with the improved closure applied.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the closure and a portion of the tube showing the former in the sealing position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the closure in the open or discharging position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the stopper and its supporting element.

Figure 6 is a partially sectional and elevational view of the closure alone, illustrating the application of a sealing covering.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating a cork or similar seat in the outlet perforation.

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6

illustrating a modified form of stopper.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the modified stopper and its supporting element.

As already indicated in the foregoing statements of the objects of the invention, the main purpose of the latter is to provide a self-sealing closure which is best adapted to collapsible tubes suchasthoseinwhichtoothpaste,shavingcream and the like is sold. It is the experience of persons using these commodities to find that long before the contents of the tube have been used up, portions of the substances will exude from the outlet opening, making the appearance of the tube most unsightly and preventing an effectual replacement of the customary screw cap.

In addition to the unsightly appearance just spoken of the fact that the screw cap cannot be readily replaced makes the container substance subject to some contamination. The present invention is intended to, and does prevent contamination 'of the tube contents and does away with the annoyance of having to struggle with a screw cap that either fits the threaded nozzle very poorly or not at all.

In devising the herein disclosed improvement sight has not been lost of the fact that eiforts have been made before to automatically displace and replace a closure structure at the mouth of a collapsible tube by the application and cessation of pressure upon the'tube sides. But in such structures an inordinate amount of pressure is required, making the intended remedy worse than the original defects which it is supposed to overcome. 25

Reference is made to the drawing. The container l comprises aJamiliar type of collapsible tube. This, as is commonly known, is crimped or otherwise closed at 2 at one end, the other and usuallyfrusto-conical end 3 converging to a shoulder 4 which is herein used as a common anchorage both for the flexible neck I and for the element i which supports the stopper I.

It is not so material to the carrying out of the invention how the flexible neck I and supporting element 8 are amxed to the container i. The present showing is mainly for the purpose of providing one illustration and according to this showing the ring base I on the element 6 is tightly crimped in the last annular corrugation oi the flexible neck, this corrugation being seated either in or upon the shoulder l. The advantage of seating the corrugation in the shoulder arises out of being able to mold the substance 5 of the shoulder 4 around. the corrugation and thus producing an anchorage which will endure for the life of the container.

The neck i is composed of flexible material. By preference it consists of very thin metal, but it may be made of such other substance as rubber or Celluloid. An outstanding characteristic of this neck is its ability to expand and contract in the axial direction of the outlet opening ll of the container i, upon the application and cessa- 25 shortrod I (Fig.

, itself is made.

, by slitting it with a knife or tion of preuure. up n the contents .of the container. For this purpose the neck is made in the form ofa tiny bellows. It is somewhat on the order of an accordion I bellows although the ridges here are not shown sharp.

As seen in the drawing it comprises a plurality of annular corrugations I i, of which the previously mentioned corrugation I is the last of the series. The exposed end of the neck I terminates in a stifl cap i2. Ordinarily thiscap is made continuous with the flexible neck I, and reliance for the requisite stiffness is put upon the shape of the cap, which, as shown, is sharply upwardly) tapering. The tip of this cap has a central perforation II, the rim of which seats upon the stopper 1 when the flexible neck I is collapsed (Fig. 2)

Said stopper 1 can be made'of some soft metal, hard rubber or cork. It is flxed upon the upper end of the element 0, which, in practice, comprisuastiflwire. 'I'hestemportionofthis element is centrally located with respect to the neck, the latter encasing the entire supporting element, as shown.

Instead of making the stopper 1 in the form of a ball, (Fig.5) it can be made in the form of a According to the form in Figs. 1 to 5, the material extruded from the closure will be in the shape of a hollow cylindrical ribbon. In the form of the invention in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the extruded hollow ribbon will be flat. The latter is due to the slot shape of the perforation Ila (Fig. 9), the latter being adapted to flt the short rod i4. Said rod is supported by an element is which terminatesin a ring base to on the identical plan of Fig. 5.

I some instances it ay be found that the stopper 1 may not provide an adequate seal. In such a case the rim of the perforation i8 is supplemented with acork insert ll (Fig. 7). This is merely a washer which is glued or cemented to the surface of the rim. It seems perfectly obvious that a material other than cork canbeusedforthisinsertiustasitispermissible to vary the material of which the stopper Figure 6 illustrates the use of a sealing cover It to insure against an inadvertent extrusion of the contents of the container before it has reached the hands of the purchaser. This cover is applied by simply dipping the end of the closure into some liouidcollodiom When this dries it provides a stiff and durable membrane. In practice it can be carried as far down the sides of the closure as desired. It is removed either tearing it oil with the flnger nails. I

The-operation is readily understood. Figure 2 illustrates the normal or sealing position of the closure. The resiliency of the flexible neck I is contractible; in other words, when left to itself it contracts and in doing so the rim of the perforation' ll becomes tightly engaged with the fixedly-situated stopper I.

When a person squeezes the sides of the container i, the pressure upon its contents is directed to the stifl cap II. The flexible neck I yields readily, letting the cap I! rise and enabling the extrusion of the substance. When the extruding pressure ceases the tension of the neck 5 will predominate, causing it to again contract and reseat the rim of the perforation II upon the stopper 1.

From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that the principle of the invention comprises the use of the flexible neck i ended with the non-flexible cap it. The shape oi the perforation II is immaterial; it may be round (Fig. 3) oblong (Fig. 9) or square. The sides of the neck are annularly ribbed to give it the accordion bellows form. The main advantages of this construction of closure are simplicity 'of construction, the requirement of only a light extruding pressure to cause an opening, and the insurance of a perfectly tight seal whenever the extruding pressure is let up. 1

I claim:

1. A self-sealingclosure for the opening of a container from which a substance is to be extruded by a pressure upon the substance, comprising a stopper in flxed relationship to the opening, a cap with an outlet perforation, and a flexible neck connecting the cap to the container, said neck being contractible to seat the rim of the perforation upon the stopper and axially stretchable upon the occurrence of said pressure to unseat the rim from the stopper.

2. A self-sealing closure for the opening of a container from which a substance is to be extruded by a pressure upon the substance, comprising a stopper in flxed relationship to, the opening, a cap with an outlet perforation, and an accordion neck of flexible material connecting the cap to the container, being axially stretchable. and contractible according to the application and cessation of said pressure.

8. A self-sealing closure for the opening. of a container from which a substance is to be extruded by a pressure upon the substance, comprising a stopper, a rigid element which flxedly supports the stopper at a distance from said opening, a perforated cap over the stopper, and a flexible accordion neck encasing the rigid element and connecting the cap to'the container.

4. A self-sealing closure comprising a stopper, a rigid perforated cap to flt upon the stopper at the rim of the perforation, a flexible neck which is an extension of the cap, an element situated inside of the neck and to which the stopper is attached, and means by which both said element and the flexible neck are rigidly anchored around the outlet opening of a container.

5. A self-sealing closure for the opening of a container from which a substance is to be extruded by a pressure upon the substance, said container including a shoulder in which said opening is formed, a stopper which has a supporting element that terminates in a base, a cap with an outlet perforation, the rim of which is adapted'to seat upon the stopper, a. flexible-neck of bellows form oi which the cap is a part, and

a crimp in said flexible neck embodied .in the shoulder and having the ring base crimped therein tomake a firm anchorage, both for the supporting element and for the neck.

6. A self-sealing closure comprising a stopper, a supporting element by which the stopper-is held in flxed relationship to an opening in a container, a flexible neck attached to said container encasing the supporting element and terminating in a-rigid cap which has a perforation to receive a part of the stopper, and a washer attached to the rim of the perforation to make a seal-oi! against the stopper.

JAMES M. CROOK. 

